In the next-generation mobile communication network, the introduction of an additional low power node is being considered, or traffic offloading to another RAT (radio access technology) (for example, a WiFi access point that is a local area network) is being considered because the number of users who use a mobile communication network is increasing and a higher transmission rate is required. In addition, in the latest 3GPP standard, the standardization of MAPCON, IFOM, or SaMOG is in progress, which can distribute traffic by using both the mobile communication network and WiFi, as well as the WiFi offloading.
In the case in which the electronic device uses one or more RATs (for example, WiFi), in order to minimize power consumption, the electronic device is required to efficiently search for an optimal nearby access point while the electronic device uses the mobile communication network. Although next-generation WiFi standard technologies have been actively proposed in the WiFi standard, such as 802.11k/r for performing the traffic loading balancing between access points or 802.11u for determining and notifying of the load occupation rate in the access point in advance, it is impossible to properly determine the load status, such as the congestion status in WiFi, with the current WiFi technology. As a result, optimized traffic offloading cannot be achieved.
As a temporary solution before the optimized traffic offloading is completed and implemented, many providers and electronic device manufacturers currently optimize a call manager at the access point end in the electronic device as much as possible to then efficiently select the available access point.
In the future, it is predicted that the WiFi access point will evolve to recognize a nearby interference channel or the activities of related users by using more intelligent functions and to estimate the traffic load of the access point in order to thereby enable the electronic device to connect to the optimal available access point.